historical note on symbolism of

A Historical Note on the Symbolism of Regensburg

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James Arlandson in a blog entry at The American Thinker ("Muslims

Rebuke Pope in Open Letter") notes the continuing fallout from Pope

Benedict's lecture at the University of Regensburg this past

September. As evidenced by this open letter, as well as the Christian

churches destroyed and Christian ministers murdered by adherents of

the Religion of Peace(TM) in response (such as the cold-blooded murder

of an aged Italian nun in Somalia, shot in the back by the brave

warriors of jihad), it seems evident that Benedict's lecture was not

well received by Muslims around the world. That said, there are much

better equipped commentators out there to respond to this latest

salvo.

But I wonder if some of the rage acted on by the adherents of the

Religion of Peace(TM) comes from the deep recesses of the collective

consciousness of Islam itself. One historical note lost thus far in

the discussion of Benedict's Regensburg lecture is the symbolism that

the city of Regensburg represents for Muslims and Christians alike in

the history of anti-jihad. Paul Fregosi in his book, Jihad in the

West: Muslim Conquests From the 7th to the 21st Centuries (1998,

Prometheus), reminds us of two important historical tidbits related to

Regensburg (p. 295):

* The first is that during Suleiman the Butcher's push into Europe

to lay siege to Vienna in 1529, Regensburg was the place at which

his calvary was finally stopped in their advance into the European

heartland. As the main body of Suleiman's Ottoman army advanced

towards Vienna, his troops massacred, tortured, enslaved and

killed Christians all along the way. As his calvary approached the

city walls, his soldiers carried on their pikes the severed heads

of their Christian victims. The city was defended by only 16,000

troops led by Nicolas von Salm in the face of Suleiman's 250,000

troops. After three weeks of an unsuccessful siege, and the

inhabitants of Vienna continuing to hold fast against Suleiman's

vast army, Suleiman declared victory, murdered all of his

Christian captives, and set about his return to Istanbul with

Vienna unconquered, raping, pillaging and enslaving all along the

way as is the custom of the Religion of Peace(TM). The Ottomans

would return to Vienna under Kara Mustapha in 1683, only to be

vanquished again by John Sobieski, King of Poland (Fregosi tells

the whole story of Sulieman's failed siege of Vienna, pp. 285-287,

and Sobieski's defense, pp. 343-348). Thus, Regensburg represents

the highwater mark of the European conquests of Islam's greatest

jihadi, Suleiman the Butcher.

* The second historical tidbit related to Regensburg is that in

1545, it was the birthplace of Don Juan of Austria, hero of the

Battle of Lepanto in 1572. Born the illegitimate son of Charles I

of Spain, raised in Spain as the anonymous Ger�nimo, and finally

recognized by his half-brother, Philip II, John resisted the

clerical life that Philip had planned for him, and gravitated

towards military service. After demonstrating his leadership

ability in defeating the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean,

John was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the naval forces of

the Holy League gathered from all over Catholic and Protestant

Europe alike to confront the invading forces of Ali Pasha. In

fact, Christians were participants on both sides of the battle at

Lepanto, as Ali Pasha's ships were powered by Christian slaves and

manned by Janissaries. On October 7, 1572, with the Ottoman ships

in sight, Don Juan shouted to his men, "We are here to conquer or

die! In death or in victory, you will win immortality!" By the end

of the day, the Holy League had won by God's grace a decisive

victory: the Turks had lost 210 ships and 25,000 Muslim soldiers

and sailors, including Ali Pasha, as well as 8-10,000 Christian

slaves that drowned chained to their oars. The Christian fleet

lost 12 ships and 7,500 men, but freed 15,000 Christian slaves

from their defeated and dead Muslim masters. Only bad weather

prevented Don Juan and the fleet from striking deep into the heart

of Ottoman territory in the Dardanelles. Rising from an ignoble

birth in Regensburg would come one of the greatest Christian

heroes fighting victoriously against the Ottomans and halting one

of the most ambitious expeditions of the perpetual campaign of

jihad in history, thus protecting the mainland of Europe. (Fregosi

provides even more wonderful detail of Don Juan and the victory of

Lepanto, pp. 322-328)

In light of these tasty tidbits from history, one is given to wonder

whether Benedict chose Regensburg for its historic and symbolic value

in the 1,400 year Christian defense against jihad. By his lecture was

he drawing a line in the sand at Regensburg, much like in 1529, and

telling the modern day forces of jihad, "Here we push back"? Did his

speech reflect a silent prayer for a new generation of Don Juans to

push back the Islamic imperialist threat that today threatens to

overrun Europe once again? Was Benedict in fact aware of the symbolic

value of Regensburg in the history of anti-jihad?